Facing a federal investigation and watching potential challengers line up ahead of the Nov. 4 election, longtime north shore District Attorney Walter Reed gathered staff members in a closed-door meeting Tuesday afternoon and told them he will not seek a sixth term in office.

Taking aim at the news media that in recent months has reported numerous stories about the management of his office and campaign finances, Reed later issued a public statement blaming "unwarranted and obtrusive disruptions'' for his decision.

"As such it has become apparent to me that such time consuming disruptions will continue," his statement said. "They are not fair to me or the people of St. Tammany and Washington parishes, who have become accustomed to an aggressive and effective district attorney fully able to focus on the important work of his office."

Reed has held the district's attorney's position for the 22nd Judicial District since 1984, when he beat incumbent Marion Farmer. He has not had to face an opponent since 1996, when he beat former U.S. Attorney John Volz.

Wielding the enormous power that comes with being a Louisiana district attorney, Reed's office built a reputation of aggressively prosecuting crime in an area populated by a largely conservative, pro-law enforcement electorate.

But in recent months, Reed has been intensely scrutinized in news reports chronicling his campaign spending, questionable payments to his son and his legal representation of the publicly owned St. Tammany Parish Hospital.

Morgan Stewart of Stewart Communications, who Reed recently hired to handle media requests, spoke after the employee meeting and told reporters that Reed "will not hesitate to defend his record."

In his statement, Reed said he plans to remain on the job and will continue to put the people of St. Tammany and Washington parishes first. His last day in office will be in January.

North shore will elect new DA for first time in 30 years

With Reed's announcement Tuesday, it's certain that for the first time in 30 years, St. Tammany and Washington parishes will elect a new top prosecutor this fall.

Three candidates so far have said they will run for the district attorney's office as next month's qualifying period draws near: Slidell attorney Alan Black; Covington attorney Roy Burns Jr.; and Brian Trainor, currently the chief deputy at the St. Tammany Sheriff's Office. As each new candidate announced his intention to run, speculation grew about Reed's plans.

Reed, 68, will not endorse anyone, Stewart said. He also said Reed has asked his staff not to get involved in any of the campaigns.

The three attorneys who have announced candidacy released statements Tuesday afternoon regarding Reed's announcement.

Black and Burns said Reed made the right choice in deciding not to run for a sixth term.

"This will give the voters of St. Tammany and Washington parishes sufficient time to evaluate the qualifications of each candidate, and decide who will lead this important decision and maintain the quality of life our citizens expect," Black said.

Burns said the federal investigation into Reed has "irrevocably clouded" the trust citizens have in the district attorney's office.

Trainor praised the work the district attorney's office and the sheriff's office have done together to reduce the violent crime rate, and said those efforts must be maintained in the future.

Stewart said Reed's announcement should not have come as a surprise, considering that six years ago he told The Times-Picayune a fifth term would be his last.

"If I'm successful, and if I live through it, I will have 30 years" in office, Reed told the newspaper in 2007. "I may end up like an old plow mule and drop in the field."

Reed timed his announcement "to give other candidates time to run an effective campaign," Stewart said.

St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister called Reed's announcement "a good decision on his part for the citizens of St. Tammany Parish."

"It allows the election to go forward with people entering that race without the cloud of uncertainty," she said. "We can just move forward with an open field and address the issues that will help us in St. Tammany get to where we want to be."

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain issued a statement saying "our parish is a better place for Walter's efforts."

Strain, who endorsed Trainor in his statement, praised Reed's staff and said he is "confident that the men and women of the District Attorney's office will continue the work he began nearly 30 years ago."

Farmer, the former district attorney, also praised Reed and his staff, saying they've done a very good job of representing the state.

"I don't have any criticism of them - of the office or his assistants," Farmer said. "He's got some very capable assistant district attorneys."

He said he hoped a new leader would consider keeping most of the assistant district attorneys, who are among the toughest prosecutors in the state.

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune and WVUE Fox 8 News have for months reported on Reed's campaign expenses, as part of a comprehensive examination of money in Louisiana politics.

In June, the news organizations revealed that Reed was the subject of a federal investigation, as a grand jury subpoena dated May 5 showed investigators were seeking documents from the Castine Center related to Reed and his son, Steven Reed. The district attorney held fund-raising events at the venue.

The news organizations have also detailed how Walter Reed's campaign paid Steven Reed $29,400 to provide what it called "catering" at a 2012 fundraiser. Castine Center records showed little or no evidence that Reed did anything to earn that money.

That expense was part of more than $95,000 Walter Reed's campaign paid to Steven Reed's companies since 2005.

At least 10 people in Reed's office have also received subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune and WVUE Fox 8 News have reported.

Reed's relationship with St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington has also been put under a microscope. Reed in May resigned his post as outside counsel for the hospital, a job that paid him $30,000 annually. No contract or documents existed that detailed what he did to earn that money. Reed represented the hospital for nearly two decades.

The hospital said Reed was hired as the district attorney, but Reed said he was working as a private attorney. Reed sometimes sent one of his assistant district attorneys to hospital board meetings when he could not attend.

Reed and his office have offered little comment to media inquiries in recent months. But last week, after hiring Stewart, Reed sent a three-page statement to media outlets blasting reporters.

He called the media "obsessed," claimed his family had been attacked and said reporters were pressing him to answer questions about criminal proceedings that he could not address.